# Latin America: why nobody cares? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 8, 2011, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-america-why-nobody-cares/577613 "2011-04-08T00:52:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-america-why-nobody-cares/577613/61 "2011-04-09T02:46:50Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > I don’t know how many ways to tell you this, but you’re wrong. Dreadfully wrong. > > No one buys products from a country because the country is nice to them. Doesn’t happen. I don’t care how much we flirt with Chile, compliment its new hairstyle, or buy it flowers. We could change the name of New York City to Colo Colo Rules the Universe City, but it won’t move trade an inch. > > You know what does move trade? Free trade agreements, like the Chile-United States Free Trade Agreement that came into effect in 2004. > > Let’s see what wikipedia has to say: “In 2009, bilateral trade between the United States and Chile reached US$15.4 billion, a 141% increase over bilateral trade levels before the U.S.-Chile FTA took effect. In particular, U.S. exports to Chile in 2009 showed a 248% increase over pre-FTA levels.” > > Oh, snap! Guess what? We’re (according to you) ignoring Chile and you’re buying more stuff from us than ever! Tell your friends to stop buying cheap American products until we start paying more attention. Maybe a [Don Francisco](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Francisco_%28television_host%29) appreciation day for starters. And tell Texas to knock off their cheap approximation of the Chilean flag. If you believe it is just a coincidence that our larger partners are Asian right now, then you are missing the point. Obama just came south of the border to sale us a world vision that is 20 years old, and nobody cared about him. Business is made by buying decisions, that change daily, and that depends not only in the supply but in how we perceive the salers. That’s what is going on. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-america-why-nobody-cares/577613/62 "2011-04-09T03:03:52Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > If you believe it is just a coincidence that our larger partners are Asian right now, then you are missing the point. > > Obama just came south of the border to sale us a world vision that is 20 years old, and nobody cared about him. > > Business is made by buying decisions, that change daily, and that depends not only in the supply but in how we perceive the salers. > That’s what is going on. Well, I know why I’ve given up on one Latin American in particular. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-america-why-nobody-cares/577613/63 "2011-04-09T03:34:17Z")
Well, if Latin America has to give up Cervantes than we up in the Estatos Unitos have to give up Shakespeare. Fair? ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-america-why-nobody-cares/577613/64 "2011-04-09T03:56:35Z")
Right on! Taken away Cervantes from Latin Amerca is like taking Seneca out of Spain, just because the guy was Roman. Nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-america-why-nobody-cares/577613/65 "2011-04-09T06:47:54Z")
I think part of it in America is in the biggest urban areas Latin America IS covered a lot, by Spanish radio/TV. In Chicago we have three full power Spanish TV stations and 1 low power station plus English stations with Spanish subchannels. These do cover, Latin America, from what I can tell by maps and such. Perhaps if the Spanish stations weren’t covering it in Spanish, the English stations would. Perhaps not but it’s a thought ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-america-why-nobody-cares/577613/66 "2011-04-10T01:28:54Z")
Yes. But most Spanish speakers in the U.S. are of LatAm descend, so no wonder they are interested in the people back home… Probably, even grandma lives there. Nope. I wonder why the English-speaking American and British put a cold shoulder to Latin America presence and culture. And not only, that, why the English-Speaking media makes ridiculous cartoons about the region. Look how movie makers represented my country not long ago. That deserves a demand! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Q7gcXAPjWp4/hqdefault.jpg "The Truth of Concepción, Chile / La verdad de Concepción") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7gcXAPjWp4) ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-america-why-nobody-cares/577613/67 "2011-04-11T13:51:23Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > Yes. But most Spanish speakers in the U.S. are of LatAm descend, so no wonder they are interested in the people back home… Probably, even grandma lives there. > > Nope. I wonder why the English-speaking American and British put a cold shoulder to Latin America presence and culture. And not only, that, why the English-Speaking media makes ridiculous cartoons about the region. Look how movie makers represented my country not long ago. That deserves a demand! > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7gcXAPjWp4](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7gcXAPjWp4) As I’ve already stated, Latin America is not more ignored in terms of the news than any other fairly stable region. Additionally, you’ve defined “Latin American Culture” in such a way as to “prove” that Americans ignore it. However, it isn’t true. Latin Americans pop stars are huge in the US, like Shakira and Enrique Iglesias. Ricky Martin. That guy who sang “Mentirosa.” Latin American food is extermely popular. Latino culture certainly has vastly more mainstream traction in the US than Asian culture. I can’t think of one Asian pop star famous in the united States for singing in a distictively Asian style. I doubt if as many Americans could name even one Asian literary author, compared to the number who can name Gabriel Garcia-Marquez or Isabel Allende. Futhermore, you’ve defined “American” in such a way as to “prove” that “Americans” ignore Latin American culture, because you exclude anyone of Latin American descent. Newsflash, as of the latest census 16% of the US population self-identified as hispanic. Maybe you don’t think they count as “real Americans” but I disagree. ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-america-why-nobody-cares/577613/68 "2011-04-11T15:18:55Z")
OK. I believe you have answered my questions already. Latin America is today a lot better known in the U.S. than in the times of the Three Caballeros. That’s for sure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-america-why-nobody-cares/577613.md?page=3)